Famous Last Words: 15 Authors’ Epitaphs

In this the spookiest of months, we find ourselves occupied with the world’s darker themes, and we got to wondering — what words have sent famous men and women of letters into the great unknown? Or perhaps more precisely, which words were chosen to honor them for eternity? From the tongue-in-cheek to the ponderously serious, from the knightly to the poetic, and even one that doubles as a grave robber’s curse, we’re fascinated by the epitaphs of famous authors, so we’ve collected a few of them here for your shivering pleasure. After the jump, read the final goodbyes to fifteen famous authors, and let us know if we missed your favorite literary epitaph in the comments.

D.H. Lawrence

“Unconquered.”

Lawrence was cremated, and his ashes were mixed in with cement used to create a memorial altar in New Mexico. However, he also got billing on the family grave. His epitaph in the Poet’s Corner at Westminster Abbey, “Homo sum! the adventurer,” is perhaps best of all, however. [Image via]